Fire-extinguisher.



. perspective view SAMUEL DoRAIs, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, assitance. :ce evans,

TRUSTEE, oENEW vean, u. Y.

FIRE-EXTINGUISHER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed May 27,

Patented ct. 29,1912.

909. Serial No. 498,696.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL-Domus, a citizen of the United States, and a resident 0f Chicago, in the county of' Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Extinguishers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to re extinguishers and relates particularly to sprinkler heads Vfor automatic,sprinklers. l #The object of the invention is to provide an -improved sprinkler head for 'automatic sprinklers which will be simple, strong and durable in construction and reliable and effective in operation.

. A sprinkler head embodying my invention comprises the various features and details of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

Inl the accompanying drawing, in which my invention is lfully illustrated-Figure 1 is a perspective view embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation thereof taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a sectional,-plan view thereof tahen substantially on the line 3`3 of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a of the members of the fusible strut separated.-

My invention relates particularly to closures for sprinkler of which may be of any desired or approved construction.

As shown, the frame portion of my ignproved sprinkler head, designated as awhole by comprises a hollow bushing`l which is provided with a screw thread on its outside adapted for engagement with a corresponding screw thread formed in a union on the water pipe, not shown, whereby thevhead A of a .sprinkler head adaptedto beY closed by a cap 6 secured over the ends thereof. Said cap 6 may be of any usual or approved construction,

ALMIRALL a amarante,

being pref- .erably stamped from a suitable piece-0f lit of said cap 6 thereon,

A raised seat 7 isbushing 1 around whichthe cap 6 being preferably sheet copper or the like. preferably formed on the the opening 2 thereinl on rests, said raised seat ground to a true surface all in a familiar manner. ment of the cap 6, said cap preferably com prises a central depressed portion adapted to t loosely inside of the raised seat 7.

The cap 6 is adapted tol be secured in position upon the bearing 7 by means .of what may be convenient-ly referred tolfas atogglef lever designated, as a whole, by8, comprising substantiallysimilartoggle members 9 and 10 which are adapted to be connected v to` be inserted between the end to end and cap 6 and the end'of the'screw 5, the outer ends of said toggle members 9 and 10 pref-- erably terminating in rounded points and said cap 6 and screw 5 being' provided with l correspondingly roundedl recesses or depresheads, the frame portions may be secured to the Water pipe with the y .hole 2 therethrough in open communication sure upon the closure for the hole or opening l' strips of metal,

2 in the bushing l, as presently described.

The hole or opening 2 in the bushing l is sions 11 and 12, respectively, adapted to receive the pointed ends of said toggle members and which will operate to hold said toggle members in posit-ion thereon.

Formed on and projecting the toggle members 9 and 10, respectively, preferably adjacent to the connected ends thereof, are lever arms 13 and 14, the relation being such that, when the toggle members are inserted ,in flexed position between the cap 6 and screw 5, the outer ends .of said lever arms 13 and 14.- will be separated by a. considerable space, a desirable space in practice being about yg of an inch.

A fusible strut, designated as a whole by 15, is adapted to be inserted between the ends of the lever arms 13 and 14, for the purpose of. securing the toggle lever members to insurea tight laterally from To prevent accident-al displaceesv 9 and 10 in posit-ion between the cap 6 .and

screw 5, in the manner heretofore described. As shown, said fusible strut. 15 comprises three separate members 16, 17 and 18. The strut members 16 A y preferably brass, of width and thickness to afford strength, say 5/16 of an inch wide proper requisite by 1/16 strut members are secured together the outer surfaces thereof will be substantially flush with each other and the end of the strut member 16 will bear against a shoulder 19 on the strut member 17 between the relatively thick and thin portions thereof. Formed at the overlapping end of the strut member 17 is a hook 20 which is relatively narrow as compared with the width of said strut considered as a whole and which. is adapted to extend through a corresponding hole or opening 21 formed in the strut meinber 16, said hole or opening 21 being longer than said hook 2() so that the ends thereof will clear said hook. in both directions lengthwise of said strut, thus insuring that said hook will not catch upon the ends of said opening when said strut members 16 and 17 turn relatively to each other about the shoulder 19. The strut member 18 forms a key adapted for normally looking the strut members 16 and 17 together. uSaid strut member or key 18 is made of relatively thin'sheet metal, preferably brass, and is soldered to the outer surface of the strut members' 16 and 17.' Formed on one end of said key 18 is a lip 22 which is adapted to interlock with the hook 2O which projects through the hole or opening 21, said lip 22 being preferably slightly narrower than said hole or openin 21, permitting said lip to enter said ho e or opening 21 and provid-ing for limited movement of the end of said lip with the hook 20 to edect dis-- engagement of said hook from the hole or opening 21. Preferably, also, said key 18 is made of such length that it will overlap the shoulder 19 on the strut member 17, thereby providing for solder connection of said key to both of said strut members.

The strut members 16, 17 and 18 are preferably correspondingly bent or bowed, whereby, when secured together to form the strut 15, said strut will be similarly bent or bowed. Said strut 15 is adapted to be inserted between the ends of the lever arms 13 and 14C with its concaved side disposed outwardly toward the ends of said lever arms and to prevent accidental disengagement of said strut from said lever arms, said .lever arms are preferably provided ad- 'acent' to their outer ends with notches 23 and 24 adapted to receive the ends of said.

strut. 1f desired, my invention contemplates forming lugs 25 at the ends of said strut adapted to `embrace the lateral sides of the lever arms 13 and 14, which will heisses operate, in an obvious manner, to maintain said'stiut in desired lateral adjustment between the ends of said lever arms. Preferably, also, the lever arms 13 and 111 are made of diderent operative lengths, the arm 13 adapted for engagement by the end of the strut member 17 being preferably longer than the operative length of the strut member 16.

A As shown, the toggle members 9 and 10y are entirely detached from each other and are held in engagement with each other, end to end, by the strut 15 inserted between the lever arms -13 and 11i, a shoulder 2G on one thereof operating to support said toggle members from accidental displacement and also to define their designed positions relatively to each other. j

Vith the described construction, it is obvious that when the closure has been assembled with the toggle arms 9 and 10 connect ed end to end in flexed position with the outer ends thereof in engagement with the recesses 11 and 12 in the cap 6 and. screw 5 and with the 'fusible strut 15 inserted between the ends of the level` arms 13 and lll, setting up the screw 5 will tend to flex the toggle members 9 and 10, which will oper- -ate through the lever arms 13 and 111 to bring the strut 15 under compression so that, when said strut 15 is subjected to a proper degree of heat, ordinarily 1GO degrees, the compression stress thereon will operate to collapse\said strut, allowing the lever arms to come together, thus flexing the toggle members 9 and 10 and relieving the cap G from all pressure, which 'will thereupon/'be forced off from its seat by the pressure in the water pipe, permitting the discharge of water through the hole or opening 2 in the head A.

With the described construction of strut 15, it is likewise obvious that, in collapsing under the pressure to which it is subjected in use, when the solder connecting the strut members becomes weakened by the applican tion of heat, the end. of the strut member 16 acting on the shoulder 19 of the strut member 17, will cause said strut members to swing inwardly about their points of connection tothe lever arms 13 and 14, thus effecting disengagement of the hook 20 at the end of the strut member 17 from the hole or opening 21 in the strut member 16 and, through the action 'of the lhook 2O on the lip 22 at the end of the key or strut nfember 18, to break the solder joint connecting said key to the faces of the strut members 1.7 and 18.

Operating in the manner described, itvis obvious that there can be no turning of the strut members relatively to each otheruntil the joints between all thereof have been broken and said toggle members are free to collapse or fall apart when they have turned tive length of one of the sullicieiitly to effect disengagement Vof the' end of the strut member 1G from the shoulder 19.

It will be observed that my construction` is such that the device will have the maXimum of stability and 'strength and yet the highest degiee of sensitiveness. By having the arms 13 and 14 project in a direction opposite the direction in which the toggle normallytends to break` I am not only enabled to locate the fiisible strut ata considerable distance from the water-pipe and thus remove it from temperature influences of the water but ain also enabled to employ a strut of the buckling or collapsible type which is always advantageous in view of its stability and reliability' as wellasssensitiveness but which is especially advantageous when mounted as in my device between a pair of arms projecting from a true toggle lever, since iii that position the strut may be locked with a minimum of solder and thus while having ample stability in normal teinperatures will have the utmost sensitiveness under high temperatures, it being obvious that the ideal sprinkler-head must be one which .'ill have under normal temperatures the maximum of stability and reliability of action and vet under a predetermined temperature shall act quicklyA and with positive certainty. And by having the operaarins longer than the other the arms are caused to eXert a greater buckling or collapsing strain on the strut, thus enabling me to employ a strut having the least amount of oit'set or curvav ture, this minimum of ottset being advantageous in that it contributes to stability by preventing accidental collapsing in temperatures below that rat, which the device is set to operate. It will therefore be observed that. in my device ll employ the least` possii ble amount of solder and thus obtain the highest degree of sensitiveness of operation and qvet so locate and arrange the parts that. the necessary stability under normal teinperatures is obtained.

I claim:

l. A closure oiua sprinkler head or" the type described` comprising a suitable cap adapted. for closing the discharge opening in said head, toggle members adapted to be inserted end for end and in liexed posi-tion between said cap and a rigid pari" of said head, lever arms on said toggle members and a strut adapted to be inserted between said lever arms, the relation being such that said strut will be subjected to compression, the points orn engagement of said strut with said lever arms. respectivelv` being` at ditferent distances from the pivot of said toggle members. said strut comprising overlapping strut members soldered together,

the overlapping end of one of said strut members bearing against a shoulder on the other strutmember, the radial distance of said shoulder from the pivot of said toggle members being` intermediate the radial distances of the points of engagement of the ends of said strut with the lever arms on said toggle members, respectively, from the pivot of said toggle members, substantially as described.

2. A closure for a type described, comprising a cap adapted for closing the discharge opening in said head, toggle members adapted to be inserted end for end in flexed position between said cap and a rigid partof said head, lever arms on said toggle members, a bent or bowed strut adapted to be inserted between said lever arms, the relation being such that said strut will be subjected to compression, the points of engagement of said strut with said lever arms, respectively, being at different distances from the pivot of said toggle members, said strut comprising overlapping strut members soldered together, the overlapping end of one of said strut members bearing against a shoulder on the other strut -member, the radial distance of said shoulder from the pivot of said toggle members being intermediate the radial distances of the points of ei'igageinent of the opposite ends of said strut with the lever arms on said toggle members, respectively, from the pivot of said toggle members, substantially as described. f

3. A closure for a sprinkler head oi' the type described, comprising a suitable cap adaptedfor closing the discharge hole or opening in said head, toggle members ada-pted to be inserted end for end and in iexed position between said cap and a rigid part of said head, lever arms on said toggle members and a strut adapted to be inserted between said lever arms, the points of engagement of seid strutwith said lever arms being at diterent distances from said toggle members, said strut comprising ovei 'lai;.ling

strut members soldered together, the overlapping end of one of said strut members bearing against. a shoulder on the other strut member, said shoulder being disposed between the points of engagement ot the ends oit said strut with said lever arms` substantially as described. y

4. A closure for a sprinkler head of the type described. comprising a suitable .cap adapted :tor closing the discharge hole or opening in said head, toggle members adapted to be inserted end for end iii flexed position between said cap and a rigid part of the head, lever arms on said toggle ineinbers projecting therefrom in a direction opposite to ythe direction of tlexure ot the tog"- gle members and a bent or boi-.vwl strut adapted to be inserted between Sail lever l'sprinkler head of the arms. the points of engagement oi the ends of said strutwith said lever arms respecs www@ tively, beim* at different distances from said' as my invention, ax my signature in presogglo memners, said stz'u't oompsng overence of tW subscribing Witnesses, this 7th lapping strut :members sodel'od together, the day of May, A. D. 1909.

overlapping fend of one of said strut mem- SAMUEL DURS.. 5 bers bearing against a shouler on the other 'Vtnessesz strut membez, substantially as described. K. A, COSTELLO,

' En testimony, that claim the foregoing A.`REIHAUSPERGER. 

